But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.     – Mathew 7:14

We’re into the season of Lent, and for all practising Christians, this six –week period is one of retribution and renewal of faith as we accompany Jesus on His journey of suffering and death. It leads us in deep reflection of what it means to be a Christian. One undeniable and important aspect which Jesus reiterates by word and by example is the significant role of suffering in the life of a true disciple of Christ. At no time does He promise His followers a magical relief from all distress in this world. Rather, He invites all those who are weary and burdened to come to Him, take up His cross and share His suffering. In this way they will find rest for their souls and experience His peace within them.

Suffering and pain are part and parcel of life in this world. Whether it is through ill-health or broken relationships or financial crises, everyone goes through their individual or collective periods of stress and despair. Sometimes the pain is unbearable and seems to last forever. The first question that often arises in one’s mind is-Why me? Having led a good life and having lived by the faith, one feels that this suffering is undeserved. Questions well up in one’s heart – Why is there no response to my prayer? Where is my God whom I have served so faithfully?

The Book of Job gives us some answers to situations like these. Job was a devoted servant of the Lord who had been blessed with happiness and prosperity in his life. In course of time every earthly blessing was taken away from him, and in his pain and suffering, he blames God for being indifferent to his pleas for mercy. However, the Lord helps him to understand his own sin of self-righteousness and he attains God’s blessing when he submits willingly to the sovereign will of God in his life.

Martin Luther describes a similar experience in a sequel to his article titled ‘Suffering and Faith.’ While fighting for the freedom of his people, he was constantly under threat from opposing factions. He was jailed, his house was bombed and he even survived a stabbing attempt. Life felt so burdensome that he was often tempted to give up the fight, but something kept him going. His suffering taught him one important lesson-“that the Master’s burden is light precisely when we take his yoke upon us” Through all this he learnt that unmerited suffering was a powerful tool that brings people close to God and, through Him, to their salvation

The Lord thus helps us to find meaning in the suffering that we have to bear in this world and, like Martin Luther, many of us have felt the presence of the Lord most powerfully in times like these. However, Jesus also has a clear message for those who lead lives of comfort and prosperity. He exhorts them to ‘enter through the narrow gate.’ He warns us that those who indulge themselves in the luxuries that the world offers are entering a wide gate that leads to destruction. Only very few voluntarily seek the narrow gate and tread that difficult path.

One famous example is seen in the life of St Francis of Assisi who sacrificed all his wealth to live a life of poverty for the Lord. One may feel that this is beyond the capacity of ordinary people like us who live in the rich material world of the 21st century. However, every now and then we come across people who have chosen the narrow gate and lived exemplary lives. Recently there was a powerful obituary to Dr Paul Mampally who passed away. He built up the Ousep-Marium Cancer Institute at Ankamaly in Ernakulam district after resigning as Head of the Cancer wing at General Hospital. Here he treated poor cancer patients and spent all his earnings on providing free food and medicine for them. Like Mother Teresa of Kolkota, he too saw Jesus in each of the patients he treated.

These are examples of stalwarts who have been blessed with the grace to follow the Lord’s path and yet, more often than not, we feel hesitant to take such radical steps. But that does not excuse us from making a sincere attempt to change the direction of our lives. As a sequel to some of our Lenten sacrifices, can we not think of some permanent resolutions to lead simpler lives, to break out of our societal prisons that dictate the brands we use, the cars we travel in, the houses we build, the people we associate with and even our holiday destinations? We only need to reach out to the Lord, and His grace will lead us down the right path.